Electric switch.



J. N WALLAGE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED r3345, 1910.

1,080,871 PatentedlDec. 9, 1913.

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J'QHN' N. WALLACE, OF LA GBQSEE, 'ISCQIISI'N, ASSIGITGR, TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMBANY, OF NEW YORK, N. A CGREOZR PLTKCN (3 ILLINGIS.

ELECTBIC SWITCH,

Specification of- Letters E'atent.

Patented Dec. it fei.

Application filed February L5, 1910. Serial No. cancer.

To all whom it may concern."

Beit-known that I, JOHN N. WALLACE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residingat' La Crosse, in the county of Lil Crosse and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to keys or switches for electric circuits, more particularly for telephone circuits. Its object is to provide an improved key of simple and compact form well adapted to manufacture and use.

In the key of my invention a feature consists in having the operating member, which controls the switch or contact springs, mounted in an opening in a sheet metal frame or support and so carried as to be movable in the plane of said support and be guided by the sides of said opening. The frame or support which carries or guides the operating member may be made to serve as a support for the contact springs and also for the key as a whole, the formation of said support being preferably integral.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure-1 is a side elevation of a key embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation; Fig. 3 is a partial side view showing one of the plungers in its normal position and another of said plungers in its operated position; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4-4: of Fig. 3 Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the plunger; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the plunger; and Fig. '2' is a side view of the plunger.

Like characters of reference are used to designate like parts throughout the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, 8 is a frame or support which comprises the horizontal flange 9, forming the supporting plate of the key as a whole and the two vertical webs 10 and 11, all of which may be formed integrally from a single sheet of metal. In the horizontal flange 9 and also in the face plate 12, openings 13 are provided as shown in Fig. 4. In the portion 10, which as shown in the drawings may be so ofi'set as to lie in an approximately central longitudinal plane, openings 14 are provided, said openings being formed with parallel sides 15 and 16. The operating part or plunger 17, which preferably is cylindrical in. form, is provided with longitudinally formed grooves 18 and 19.

The construction thus far described is such that when the plunger 17 is properly placed in position in the opening 14: the sides 15 and 16 of said opening lie ill ilk grooves 18 and 19 respectively and serve as guides for the plunger in its longitudinal movement.

llflounted upon the lower portion 11 of the frame 8 is a group of springs 20, 21, 22 and said springs being properly insulated from one another and secured to the frame in some suimble manner as by means of screws 9a and The lower end of the plunger is formed with inclined portions 26 and 27 adapted to engage with the correspondingly formed surfaces 28 and 29 of the springs 21 and When the plunger 17 is depressed the inclined portions26 and 2'? engage the corresponding portions 28 and Q9 of the springs 21 and 22 and cause them to make contact with springs 20 and 23. When released, the springs 21 and 22 restore the plunger to its normal position. The downward movement of the plunger may be limited by stops 30 and 31, preferably formed integrally with the frame. In Fig. l the frame is shown as adapted to carry ten sets of sp 'ings together with their respective plungers. The frame might, of course, be extended to provide for any practicable number of sets of springs and plungers, or it might be limited to a single set, depending upon the requirements in any given case.

It will be readily understood that while portions 9, 10 and 11 of the frame 8 are formed integrally and, as such, constitute a feature of my invention, one or more of said parts mightbe formed separately, said parts being secured together in proper relative position by end pieces or other framework without exceeding the scope of myinvention. l? rexample, the portion 10 might be a separate plate extending horizontally throughout the length of the key and formed with openings having sides, as already described, adapted to serve as guides for plungers or operating members movable in its plane. Also the springs may be of such form, number and arrangement as the circuit conditions may require. These and similar modifications I regard as clearly within the scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A switch key comprising a frameplate having a flat vertical portion with an opening therein, a plunger slidably engaging the edges of said opening, said plunger being movable in a plane parallel with said fiat vertical portion, and switch springs mounted adjacent said plunger and adapted to be controlled thereby.

2. A switch keypomprising a frame plate having a flat vertical portion with an opening therein, a plunger grooved to slide in said opening between the edges of said opening, and switch springs mounted upon the lower part of the frame plate and ar ranged to be actuated by said plunger.

3. A switch key comprising a supporting plate having a vertical web and a horizontal flange provided with openings, a plungerthe opening in said flange, and contact springs upon the lower portion of said web and arranged to be actuated by said plunger.

5. A switch key comprising a frame plate having an off-set fiat.- vertical portion with an opening therein, a plunger; slidably mounted in said opening between the edges of said fiat portion, and switch springs ere tending through said opening and adapted to be actuated by said plunger. v

6. A switch key comprising a frame plate having a flat vertical portion with a piurality of openings therein, plungers adapted to slide in said openings between the edges of said openings, and switch springs carried adjacent said plungers and adapted to be actuated thereby.

7. A switch key comprising a supporting plate having an integrally formed vertical web and horizontal flange provided with openings a plunger adapted to siide in the opening'in said web and projecting through the openlng 111 said flange, stops formed 'integrally with said plate, and contact springs upon the lower portion of said web arranged .to be actuated by said plunger.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe myname this 12th day of Feb. A. D. 1910.

JOHN N. WALLAGE.

Witnesses: 1

CHESTER R. PIEPER, CHARLIE C. SCHREIL. 

